Retiring Phillies general manager Pat Gillick told Bill Madden of The New York Daily News at the World Series his team’s hatred for the Mets, coupled with the disdain other teams in the NL East had for the Mets, acted as inspiration. Teams just didn’t like the celebrations and their swagger, perhaps sense of entitlement, they’ve had since 2006.

Said Gillick: “If you want to know the best thing we had going for us this year, it was the fact that all the other teams in our division hated the Mets’ guts. It started with Atlanta and all the hostility they had with the Mets through the years. Then Fredi Gonzalez left Bobby Cox to manage the Marlins and he didn’t forget everything that went on between the Braves and Mets. Look what Florida did for us the past two years (beating the Mets two out of the three in each of the last series of the season to prevent them from making the postseason). Washington doesn’t like them very much either, and all those teams seemed to really get up for the Mets.”

Both Jose Reyes and Carlos Delgado took the celebrations outside the dugout, but each said they weren’t hurting anybody. In the end, they may have just been hurting themselves.

Hey, it’s not a shot at Reyes, but when an executive of your bitterest rival says the perception of your team is poor, you’d better listen. If the Mets are listening, they should realize Gillick is doing them a favor.

Greetings to all my friends on the West Coast. During the season I’ll call this post “Mets after Midnight.” I had this post before and will do my best to keep it going as to get a dialogue going with you guys two and three time zones away.

I have a good feeling about this World Series. Not so much in the winner, but in that it will be a compelling Series. How did the Phillies leave as many guys on base as they did and still win? Oh yeah, the Rays left a bunch, too.

As far as the Mets go, Mets.Com wrote today that HoJo will be back as hitting coach. That’s not the impression a lot of us had after the season when the Mets were whining about their situational hitting.

Willie Randolph will interview with Milwaukee. Doug Melvin, Milwaukee GM, was once in the Yankee farm system. He knows Willie well. Wouldn’t be surprising if he got the job.

If you don’t want to talk about the game or the Mets’ coaching, don’t worry. This is the message board for you night owls and those on the Coast. And, I’ll answer your questions and address your comments in the morning.